243 reloading ????

[kmw1954]

The rifle I am building, a Savage Model 11, came with a 20" 243 barrel on it that I was and will be removing at some point. But I have test fired it and it actually shot very well. After a quick bore sight in I was able to take 3 shots at 200 yards. Though they were way low and left it did place those 3 shots within a 1.5" group. So I am thinking I might just shoot this barrel until I can get the new one, long lead time from most everyone.

Question is I have no experience with the 243 round or where to start with bullets and powders. This barrel from what I understand is a 1:9.5 twist. Midway and MidSouth both have some 60+ gr, 87/90gr and some 105 and 108gr weights in stock. Not sure how well the 60 gr verities or the heavies will work in this barrel.

Powders I have on hand to work with are BL-C2, TAC, Benchmark and 2460. any of these any good in 243 or should I look for something else?

Plan is to eventually replace this barrel with a 6br Norma

So lets hear your thoughts on a starting point. Just components, not loads.

 

[JFrank]

Probably the 85-100 gr and save the 105-108 for the upcoming 6 br with a 1-8 twist

 

[stillquietvoice]

My 243 win, a m11 savage 22", shoots hirnandy 100 gr spbt very well, 3/4" at 200 when I do my part. I have used hodgen and imr 4350, ramshot hunter in it all three powders produce good groups. I haven't used other powders in this rifle but did with my other one. Blc2 imr 4895. H4895, and win 760. As well as the other mentioned powders under 100 gr bullets, haven't used lighter pills because the 100's work so well in my rifle.

2460, and blc2 should work fine, not sure about tac or benchmark as I haven't really researched those powders for the 243 win.

 

[lordpaxman]

I was surprised when I started loading for a Ruger PRS how very slow powders were recommended. I ended up with 4831SC and it worked well with heavier bullets. Good luck.

 

[Bat Rastard]

Your intention is to replace the barrel. I suggest you load HOT (safely) and shoot the snot out of that barrel. When you replace it, you won't keep the old one laying around, because you know it is toast!

 

[BBarn]

For the 243 Winchester, none of the powders listed are good choices for the bullet weights listed. Slower powders are more appropriate for those bullet weights in the 243.

 

[243winxb]

Sierra #1530 85 gr HPBT/IMR or H4350 for plinking.

Berger Match 90 gr HPBT/IMR 4831 for accuracy. Benchrest prep the brass.

Edit- as far as bullet price, Speer was the lowest, before the shortage.

 

[Barbaroja]

I’ve had great accuracy from 95gn nosler ballistic tips with 42gn of reloader 19. I was surprised when I started loading the 243win that the same powders is use for my 7mm Remington magnum work well for heavier weight Bullets.

 

[Howa 9700]

Sierra #1530 85 gr HPBT/IMR or H4350 for plinking.

Berger Match 90 gr HPBT/IMR 4831 for accuracy. Benchrest prep the brass.

One of the rifles I'm loading for is a Mossberg Patriot youth gun in 243 Win. It has a 20" barrel with 1:10 twist. Internet seems to think 243 Win is an easy caliber to load for. I'm finding it to be more like "no mans land".....or a tale of two rifles. Load data all over the place.....some treating it like a 308 and that speed of faster powders........others like a 270 and slower powders.

Have tried a couple powders using Hornady 100 grain Interlocks......SPBT. One load ladder using IMR 4955...said to be same speed as 4831.... splattered 10 shots over 8". A load of 39 grains of IMR 4350 got that down to about 3 inches....which is about what it does with some factory loads of 100 grains.

Then remembered I have a box of Sierra 1530 85 gr hpbt.......have had them about 30 years. Old enough a few of them have moss growing on them. The hpbt had me thinking they were like modern era Match Kings, not the hunting bullets I am wanting to use. Turns out those are Game Kings....so they went front and center.

Have 5 test loads ready to fire. One loaded with IMR 4350 in range of 43 to 44 grains.......and another with IMR 4064.....37.5 and 38 grains. As per Sierra.......powder and load of choice for that bullet was 38 grains of IMR 4064.

What I also find both amusing and troubling......have found at least two load data sources that describe the 243 as borderline adequate for "big game". When used on something like a deer......both say shot placement is critical......but both fail to then mention where.

 

[AJC1]

80-100 grain bullets would be my choice and some rams hot hunter. The shooters world 4350 pops up most often in my area, so available is king.

 

[lightman]

I lean more towards slower powders in my 243. 4350, 4831SC and RL-22 work well in mine with the Sierra 107 grain Match King or one of the Bergers in that weight range. For Deer, try the Nosler bullet in the 95 or 100 grain weight range.

My 243 is a custom varmint weight with a fast twist barrel.

 

[mrawesome22-250]

I found IMR4350 and bullets between 75-100gr would always produce great groups once dialed in.

 

[Howa 9700]

Another gun I'm loading for is a 6mm Rem. No self respecting load data for 6mm Rem can get past mention of the history of failed 244 Rem, winner 243 Win and 2nd chance 6mm Rem.

But what remains in back of my mind is 243 Win......and 1:10 twist.......runs best in the light to mid range......70 to 90 grain.......bullets. They go up to 100 grain......but that is where the faster twist of 9mm Rem and 243 with faster twist barrels kicks in and takes over. So my assumption is 243 win with lighter bullets.....1:10 twist.....means faster powders and higher velocity (3100 to 3200 fps). The 6mm Rem......1:9 twist....bigger bullets (100 gr), slower powders......slower velocity (2800 to 2900 fps).

What I remember from about 40 years ago is that most 243 Win factory ammo was 80 grains. I still have some ancient 6mm Rem factory that was also 80 grain bullets. We thought that was "standard" for both at the time.

BTW, first "big bore" rifle I ever shot was my uncle's 243 Win. I was about 12. Don't remember why the subject came up, but I was at my grandmother's house.......and my uncle comes to the door and suddenly he is saying I need to shoot his gun. So he fills up a spent 5 gallon metal Lasso herbicide can with water and sets it on a stump about 30 feet away......hands me his loaded gun and says to shoot it. Can jumps about 5 feet in the air, splits apart and hits the ground flat. I would not have expected less from half a stick of dynamite. Not sure what else I learned that day, but I did learn that a "high powered rifle" was no toy. Have treated them with profound respect ever since. Perhaps that was the purpose?

 

[243winxb]

a 20" barrel with 1:10 twist.

The Sierra 1530 85 gr hpbt works well in my old Rem 600 mohawk with 18.5 barrel. There is a lot of velocity lost. The heavier, longer bullets, dont do as well. The 10 twist is to slow.

 

[Bartojc]

I use 100gr Sierra Pro-Hunter for deer and they work well and are reasonably accurate (1 MOA). For the price you can't beat them. Right now I am using H414 due to availability, but ideally something a little slower like H4350 would probably work a little better.

-Jeff

 

[AJC1]

Another gun I'm loading for is a 6mm Rem. No self respecting load data for 6mm Rem can get past mention of the history of failed 244 Rem, winner 243 Win and 2nd chance 6mm Rem.

But what remains in back of my mind is 243 Win......and 1:10 twist.......runs best in the light to mid range......70 to 90 grain.......bullets. They go up to 100 grain......but that is where the faster twist of 9mm Rem and 243 with faster twist barrels kicks in and takes over. So my assumption is 243 win with lighter bullets.....1:10 twist.....means faster powders and higher velocity (3100 to 3200 fps). The 6mm Rem......1:9 twist....bigger bullets (100 gr), slower powders......slower velocity (2800 to 2900 fps).

What I remember from about 40 years ago is that most 243 Win factory ammo was 80 grains. I still have some ancient 6mm Rem factory that was also 80 grain bullets. We thought that was "standard" for both at the time.

BTW, first "big bore" rifle I ever shot was my uncle's 243 Win. I was about 12. Don't remember why the subject came up, but I was at my grandmother's house.......and my uncle comes to the door and suddenly he is saying I need to shoot his gun. So he fills up a spent 5 gallon metal Lasso herbicide can with water and sets it on a stump about 30 feet away......hands me his loaded gun and says to shoot it. Can jumps about 5 feet in the air, splits apart and hits the ground flat. I would not have expected less from half a stick of dynamite. Not sure what else I learned that day, but I did learn that a "high powered rifle" was no toy. Have treated them with profound respect ever since. Perhaps that was the purpose?

The only experience with 6mm rem is the few pieces of brass I picked up. Indications lead me to believe brass life is short based on the primer basically falling out. No idea how abused previously those cases were.

 

[chamokaneman]

I have a 80's vintage Savage 110 I've loaded for. Mostly recently I've experimented with some 85 grain Nosler Partitions that were adequate at best with several different powders. I've also gotten just marginally OK results with Barnes 80 grain and Remington 100 Grain factory loads. On the other hand, it shoots consistent 1" or less groups with 75 grain Sierra HP's and Varget. Seems to like lighter bullets. Gonna try some 58 grain V-Max and see what happens one of these days.

 

[wbm]

The Sierra 1530 85 gr hpbt works well

Very!

 

[JFrank]

The only experience with 6mm rem is the few pieces of brass I picked up. Indications lead me to believe brass life is short based on the primer basically falling out. No idea how abused previously those cases were.

What’s the shoulder angle of the 6 Remington?
Curious..

 

[kmw1954]

So my impression of 80-100gr bullets would be about right. Now will start looking at data and powders. Also need to sit down and order dies and a Lyman case gauge.

Then with my leg disability I can no longer hunt so a hunting type bullet is not necessary but to achieve MOA would be nice.

Again Midway USA and MidSouth both have a number of different 65gr but I have been lead to believe these would be too light.

 

[AJC1]

So my impression of 80-100gr bullets would be about right. Now will start looking at data and powders. Also need to sit down and order dies and a Lyman case gauge.

Then with my leg disability I can no longer hunt so a hunting type bullet is not necessary but to achieve MOA would be nice.

Again Midway USA and MidSouth both have a number of different 65gr but I have been lead to believe these would be too light.

I get good accuracy with the amax as a cheap option.

 

[BigBlue 94]

My 243 deer load is 75gr hpbt in front of imr 4831 at about 3500 fps. Stupid accurate and drops em dead on the spot.

 

[kmw1954]

As reported in another thread the gun these loads were to be used for has a mishap and the stock was broken. So this all got pushed to the back burner. Well a new stock arrived and I am back in business.

During this I received some .243" bullets from a member here in the Pay-it-Forward, which I appreciate very much. Not a lot of each but enough to at least get some sample shots in.

The bullets are Sierra 85gr hp., Sierra 80gr Spitzer marked for single shot pistol and a few 70gr Nosler. Now having trouble finding loads for these with powders I have on hand. Those being TAC, Benchmark, 2460 and BL-C2. Best I can do is some loads for the BL-C2.

 

[stillquietvoice]

Didn't find much either, 1 load for benchmark using a Speer 70 gr hp 36.5 to 39.3 gr at 3.625 in.

As reported in another thread the gun these loads were to be used for has a mishap and the stock was broken. So this all got pushed to the back burner. Well a new stock arrived and I am back in business.

During this I received some .243" bullets from a member here in the Pay-it-Forward, which I appreciate very much. Not a lot of each but enough to at least get some sample shots in.

The bullets are Sierra 85gr hp., Sierra 80gr Spitzer marked for single shot pistol and a few 70gr Nosler. Now having trouble finding loads for these with powders I have on hand. Those being TAC, Benchmark, 2460 and BL-C2. Best I can do is some loads for the BL-C2.

 

[Riomouse911]

I load the 80 gr TTSX all copper bullets for my M-77 RSI and it’s 18.5” barrel, I’m in Ca and I can’t hunt with anything else.

Stay safe.